The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas” embodied the essence of
Spiritual and Blues Traditions. The core of Blues and Spiritual Traditions is speaking about the struggles and pain you, yourself have gone threw.
The major difference between Douglas’ works and the Spiritual and
Blues Traditions is the way each is used. Douglas’ works are used and were written to secure his place in history, provide validity to the horrors of slavery, and be an accurate self told story of his life and experiences.
The term Blues has no specific or definite origin. Critics and historians have come up with many theories as to where the word comes from.
Most agree the term Blues originates from the term “blue …show more content…
Like the origins of the Blues and Negro Spirituals Douglas knew he was of African Decent but did not know his exactly African country of origin. Also like the Blues and Spirituals ( no one is sure of the exact date or year each was created), Douglas did not know his exact date of birth because it was never recorded. Douglas says in Chapter one of his narrative, “ I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen my authentic record containing it.”
Taylin Humphrey AFS LIT midterm Paper Topic #1 10/21/2014 In Spirituals and Blues music liberation is found in the expressing of yourself. Douglas’ freedom was found by discussing his bondage. If he never knew what bondage was or what being oppressed was like, could he ever really understand or appreciate his freedom? The link between
Spirituals, Blues, and Douglas’ work is that they all speak about pain and suffering. The difference is in the purpose of each. Spirituals and Blues music were used to release frustration, ease pain and detoxify ones self of the evils of enslavement ( even if only for a few moments), Douglas’s works expressed pain but was used as the “poster child” to expose the evils of slavery and offer up possible